1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to the construction of coke ovens and in particular to a new and useful charging car arrangement wherein the charging car runs over a trackway on the roof of the coke oven battery and an elevator is provided for shifting the car to a distinct level while simultaneously providing another length of trackway identical with the length of trackway over which the car is first driven so as to provide a non-interrupted passage for charging cars while another charging car is maintained or repaired at a separate repair station at a different elevation from the charging car trackway.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Even though such charging cars are very rugged in construction, they are exposed to very rough service conditions so that, from time to time, they must be removed from the battery roof and transferred to a repair station, for maintenance or overhaul. In practice, repair stations are found on the end platforms of batteries, beyond the battery heads. As soon as the charging car requiring repair is removed from the area of oven chambers to be charged, a second charging car in service on the battery roof may serve the oven chambers without being hindered in any way by the car to be repaired. Such a repair station may be provided at the battery end for two charging cars of any battery.
However, if more than two charging cars are in service on the battery, which is frequently the case with large plants, difficulties arise with the maintenance or repair of cars servicing the central working area. Anyway, at least one of the cars remaining in service is then blocked and it may happen that the entire work must be done by a single charging car.